Oakland police seek suspect in TV cameraman robbery after he fails to show up for court

OAKLAND -- A 19-year-old Oakland man arrested in connection with the robbery last week of a television cameraman is being sought on a no-bail warrant after not showing up in court Tuesday for his arraignment.

Deliane Phillips was scheduled to be arraigned on the robbery charge and three gun charges stemming from his arrest in Emeryville the day after Nov. 7 Oakland robbery.

In the Emeryville case, which resulted in officers stopping the car he was in and finding a gun, he was charged with having a concealed firearm in the vehicle, carrying a loaded firearm and having a firearm with an altered serial number -- all felonies.

He was free on $100,000 bail that authorities believe had been posted by his girlfriend, but when he failed to appear Tuesday, a no-bail warrant was issued for his arrest.

Oakland police had arrested Phillips on Nov. 9, when he appeared in court on the Emeryville case and he was charged with robbery in connection with the camera theft. The victim identified Phillips through a photo lineup, police said.

The video camera, estimated to be worth $20,000, has not been recovered and several other suspects are still being sought, police said.

The attack happened shortly after noon Nov. 7, when a KPIX news cameraman had just finished a live shot with a reporter outside Oakland Technical High School on the 4300 block of Broadway, police said.

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As the segment was ending, five young men rushed up and one of them punched the cameraman twice in the face before they drove off in a car with the camera, police said. The reporter was not seriously injured, police said.

Police Department and Crime Stoppers of Oakland are now offering up to $ 2,500 for information leading to Phillips' arrest and are also offering up to $2,500 in reward money for information leading to the arrest of the outstanding suspects in the robbery. Anyone with information may call police at 510-238-3326 or a tip line at 510-773-2805.

The robbery was the eighth such incident involving a member of the media in Oakland since April. Guns were pulled on some of the victims.